If you saw a need or an opportunity outside of your industry would you recognize it? Our guest did and he’s here to tell us about it. Alan Leard is one of the co-founders of Limelight Health, a quoting, underwriting, proposal platform that started as an idea for an app.

On this episode of CTO Studio, we talk extensively about CTO authority versus CTO leadership with Michael Bastos. Michael was the CTO of a San Diego company called LocalStack before moving to Austin, Texas to run the benefits API team for the VA’s web site.

The start of a new year is always a time for new resolutions – but our guest is here to tell us why creating clear and powerful intentions is far more effective. Michelle Saul is the founder and president of Possibilities Consulting and she was my first ever real coach.

3/29/2019

Agenda

8:00 Check In/Registration

8:30 Welcome!

Etienne de Bruin, Founder 7CTOs

9:00 Keynote: The Coming Wave of Human-AI Augmentation

Alex Bates, CEO Neocortex Ventures, former CTO Mtell.

After a decade on the front lines of AI, applying machine learning in the IoT and working with human users of AI prediction engines, Alex discovered that humans and AI are highly complementary. The coming wave of Human – AI Augmentation applications will unlock massive value. The talk will cover specific use cases for hybrid human-AI applications, and a different way to approach machine learning.

10:00 Architect For Success!

Larry Heminger, CTO Sapiens Data Science

Let’s assume our company and business will be a huge success. As CTOs, what technology decisions can we make each and every day to best set ourselves up to win, both short and long-term, and to minimize technical debt and refactoring downstream? Examples of system & cloud architectures will be discussed, calling out both decisions that stood the test of time, as well as poor decisions which required major re-work.

10:40 Your Customers Hate You: And Other Lies

Heather Wilde, CTO ROCeteer, Inc, TWIP

When you release your software and products into the world, you open yourself up to the gamut of possibilities. This includes negative feedback from customers that can leave even the most experienced developer unprepared. How can you stay on track when everything you hear tells you you’re wrong?

11:20 Start-Up CTO Stress Triggers

Vladimir Baranov, CTO AdvisorEngine

It’s already difficult enough to build out an application in a familiar environment. In a start-up, with a new team, new product, and new processes, the task is even more challenging. This talk will explore these sources of start-up workplace stress from the CTO’s perspective.

12:00 Break for Lunch

1:30 From Data-driven to Reasoning-driven

Dr. Khai Minh Pham, Founder & CEO, ThinkingNode Inc.

In January 2019, Harvard Business Review indicates that in the next 5 years AI “… will rely less on bottom-up big data and more on top-down reasoning that more closely resembles the way humans approach problems and tasks.” This talk is about explaining why it’s so important and that is actually already possible today!

2:10 Serverless War Stories: My Journey So Far

Steve Bjorg, Founder & CTO MindTouch

The serverless application model is a brilliant new way to build and deploy solutions, but it comes with its own set of unique complications. In this talk, I share the challenges we encountered, the solutions we embraced, and the bumps we see on the journey ahead.

2:50 Right Job – Left People

Emily Deere, CTO Ad-Juster

You have all the right jobs – but are you leaving a lot of good candidates out of your job search? What people are being left out of your hiring practices. This talk will discuss often left out qualities of job searches that transcend gender, age and the reality of being ‘real’ in a job interview.

3:30 Mob Programming, A Systems Approach

Matt Ferguson, CTO Zeeto

How many of you would like to improve efficiency reduce overhead? Did you ever wonder why your team can’t get to the next level? It’s my belief that the feedback loops in software development teams do not incentivize the right outcomes Many of us have experience with the many tried and true software development methodologies. They fail to deliver on the promise of agile and lean.

4:10 Strategies and models for building effective teams

Alo Sarv, Co-Founder SOCi, Inc.

Building and leading teams that deliver results consistently is very hard. Effective communication is rooted in trust and empathy, which are the building blocks for successful teams and organizations. Through understanding of key mental models, recognition of systems leverage points and deliberate practice, it is possible to intentionally create a culture of high-performing teams, focused around collaboration and alignment.

4:50 Mechanical Confidence

Adam Cuppy, COO Coding Zeal

More often then not “confidence” is taught as a practice of positive self-talk; that confidence is the result of belief and time. While this appears to be true, it isn’t. Confidence can be developed, mechanically. We can be more confident without having to solely believe we’re confident. Confidence, in fact, is the result of ingrained habit. This talks looks at how you can develop a process to instill what so many of us wish we had more of.

5:30pm Break for Cocktails

Who is it for?

Anyone and everyone who is in a technology leadership position.

Where to eat?

Tahiti Village has many options on site and nearby to grab a quick bite during lunch. There are 2 restaurants located on the resort: 17° South Booze & Bites and Denny’s. There are also a number of places to eat within walkable distance from the conference just up South Las Vegas Boulevard.